Quarterback Controversy Over? Mac Jones to Start on Sunday vs. Jets

Coaching malpractice no more? Maybe – as apparently the Patriots have already made a decision on who will play quarterback this weekend.

According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Mac Jones will get the start at QB this weekend against the Jets after taking roughly 90% of first team reps at Wednesday’s practice.

When asked about who will start at quarterback prior to practice on Wednesday, head coach Bill Belichick told the media, “we’ll see how it goes today”.

It must have gone pretty well.

On Tuesday, I wrote about how what Bill Belichick was trying to pull over in New England quarterback room should be labeled as “coaching malpractice:

According to Belichick, Mac Jones, and Bailey Zappe, this was apparently all a part of the plan. However, it seems like they were the only ones that knew of said plan:

“No. We weren’t aware,” said running back Rhamondre Stevenson when asked if he knew that both quarterbacks were going to play on Monday.

“Not necessarily,” was wide receiver Jakobi Meyers answer on if he knew about the QB platoon. He added, “I would say it’s a shock, but we don’t really have time to focus on it too much.”

“I didn’t expect that… I didn’t know who was playing or who was starting.” said guard Mike Onwenu.

Belichick tried to clear up the disconnect between the players and the QB decision on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show on Tuesday morning, saying that he spoke to both QBs and “leaders of the team”, and that “everybody knew what the plan was…well not everybody.” 

This is coaching malpractice to the highest degree. The entire unit not knowing the plan at signal caller is completely detrimental to how an offense will run, and almost certainly had an impact on the measly 14 points they put up on Monday night.